Happy Saturday my friends! I’m just loving this cooler weather, how ‘bout you? I was in a baking mood this morning, so once again, I thought of scones.
Scones are SO quick and easy (especially with the help of a food processor), that they’re a perfect breakfast treat. I have several tried and true recipes that I’ve been using for years, but I decided to “live on the edge” and try something new this morning.
I dug through some of my inherited cookbooks looking for something yummy, and I came across a little paperback cookbook (about 5” x 5” big) entitled: ”Simply Scones” by Leslie Weiner and Barbara Albright. It’s published by St. Martin’s Press. The title sounded promising, so I decided to give it a try. As I paged through the book, I found a recipe for “Pistachio Fig Scones” on p. 59. Hmmmm…
I didn’t have any pistachio’s in the house, but I L-O-V-E figs, and I’m always trying to find new uses for them (besides my usual fig preserves). In fact, this past summer I froze some, just so I would have them around to experiment with. How convenient!!
I decided to make a few minor changes to the recipe (surprise, surprise…) and I came up with this (see below). They were good, but not quite sweet enough for my taste, so next time I may add a little more brown sugar. I may also add a few more figs…just because I can! J
At the last minute, I decided to add a powdered sugar glaze. It turned out delicious, and was just the right touch to change these scones from “okay” to “AWESOME”!
Anyway…here’s the version I tried today. If you have some figs, give it a try and let me know what you think!
Faithy’s Fig & Almond Scones
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp. lightly packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. lightly packed brown sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons low-sodium baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Smart Balance Butter Blend sticks (or butter/margarine), cut into 1/2” cubes & chilled
1/4 cup HEB Real Egg (or 1 regular egg)
2 Tablespoons skim milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped almonds (the original recipe used shelled pistachio nuts)
1/3 cup chopped, trimmed figs
Mix together flours, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in your food processor. (You can do it by hand, but this way is much quicker and easier!) Add the chilled butter and process just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl (or measuring cup), whisk together the egg, milk, & vanilla. Add the liquid to the food processor and pulse a few times to incorporate everything. Add the figs and nuts and pulse a few more times just to get them evenly distributed. (NOTE: The mixture will be very sticky!)
Use a cookie scoop, ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup dry-measure to crop the dough onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray. Be sure to leave several inches between each scone. Bake at 375° F for 20 to 25 minutes (or until they pass a toothpick test), then remove them to a wire rack to cool. You can serve them just like this or with a flavored butter or glaze of your choice.
Here’s the glaze I tried (just something I made up):
--2/3 cup powdered sugar
--1 Tablespoon fig preserves
--orange juice (I prefer it with pulp for a little texture)
Just dump the powdered sugar into a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk in the fig preserves. Then add enough orange juice to get the consistency you want. I like a medium consistency…not too runny, but not too thick, so I can spread it easily.
Once you have it the way you like it, just brush it generously onto the hot scones and enjoy!
(The recipe said this should make six scones, but with my cookie scoop it made nine.)
Enjoy this beautiful weekend friends, and don’t forget to thank God for it!!
Blessings,
--Faithy
